Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Faith Connections | Pan Nalin

So much has been written, photographed, filmed, spoken of the various Kumbh Melas...to the point that, with a few exceptions, I've become somewhat blasé about this monumental religious event. In fact, when I'm asked if I'd consider leading a photo expedition-workshop to a Kumbh Mela, I can barely stifle a yawn or even worse, an eye-roll.

However, Faith Connections, Pan Nalin's trailer of the Kumbh Mela, re-ignites the spark of interest that is shared by many to document the event.

Pan Nalin is an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary maker, and is best known for directing award-winning films like Samsara, Valley of Flowers, and Ayurveda: Art of Being. He traveled to the Kumbh Mela, one of the world's most extraordinary religious events. He meets remarkable men of mind and meditation, some facing an inextricable dilemma; to embrace the world or to renounce it.

The above trailer is also connected to a splendid website Faith Connections, which provides links to a few stories from the Kumbh Mela. You'll view and read the stories of a young runaway kid, a sadhu, a mother desperately looking for her lost son, a yogi who is raising an abandoned baby, and an ascetic who smokes cannabis.

This is highly recommended to those who've never been to a Kumbh, and to those who've been once or more.

About The Travel Photographer

Based in New York City, I am a freelance photographer specializing in documenting endangered cultures
and traditional life ways of Asia, Latin America and Africa. My images, articles and photo features were published in various magazines, and my travel photographs were featured by some of the largest adventure travel companies in the United States and Great Britain, as well as in multinational corporations' art collections. My photographs have been acquired by an eclectic range of clients; from the Standard Chartered’ Bank's permanent art collection to Spike TV.

I also organize and lead photo expeditions and workshops for photographers who share my enthusiasm for unusual cultures,
uncommon locations and lesser known festivals. I'm a faculty member at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, and give workshops at the Travel Photographer Society (Kuala Lumpur).